


Share the Burden

by thenakednymph



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, I don’t know what the fuck this is, I legitimately have no idea what’s happening here, I was watching The Devil’s Carnival and this happened, Im making this a tag because it’s my favorite thing, M/M, Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Lance (Voltron), Whipping, body shields, it’s literally just pain, mutual suffering, thus is not a happy fic, why did I write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 06:56:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18405452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenakednymph/pseuds/thenakednymph
Summary: Lance is the only thing standing between Keith and the darkness and he’ll be damned if he lets it take him.





	Share the Burden

**Author's Note:**

> Devil’s Carnival AU??? I don’t- I have no fucking idea. This is nothing but angst. And pain. Lots of pain. I’m sorry.

Lance sags in the chains, skin slick with sweat as the whip cracks. He spasms at the tongue of flame licking across his skin.

“This ends when you give us the boy.”

Lance’s shaking knees solidify beneath him and he lifts his head, grinding his teeth.

“No.” He loops the chains around his own wrists where they’ve slipped, holding on tightly.

The figure steps closer, an apology etched into their features. “All you have to do is let go,” they whisper, one hand sneaking around Lance’s naked waist as if to comfort, leaning up to whisper in his ear. Their yellow eyes flash, meeting Keith’s over Lance’s shoulder.

“Give us the boy.”

Lance shudders, sweat racing down his spine, heaving in deep breaths. He turns his head, snapping his teeth at their ear with a hiss.

“Over...my dead... _body,_ ” he snarls and Keith’s heart thuds.

 _Don’t,_ Keith says but they can’t hear him.

The figure cups Lance’s cheek, the light ahead of him casting him in silhouette from where Keith stands, bathing the slant of his cheek in red and gold.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” they whisper but Lance jerks his head away.

“You can’t have him,” he bites out. “I don’t care...what you do to me but you can’t have _him_.” Even standing behind them Keith can see Lance’s eyes flash.

“So get on with it.”

The figure frowns and grips Lance’s chin, hard enough to make him wince, yanking his head around.

“So be it.” They vanish in cloud of darkness and Keith hears the telltale whip crack before Lance screams.

Keith is choking and he stumbles forward. _Don’t._ He steps onto the platform, standing in Lance’s shadow. _Please, leave him alone._ The whip cracks again.

_No. No!_

This close Keith can see the gruesome wounds crisscrossing Lance’s back. _Please._ He wraps his arms around Lance’s waist, hands covering his heart as the whip cracks again. This time fire licks across Keith’s arms but he only holds on tighter.

 _I’m here, just leave him alone._ He presses his forehead to the nape of Lance’s neck, holding him tight. He doesn’t see as the wounds beneath his hands slowly begin to stitch themselves shut, a soft golden light bleeding from them as they close.

_Let me go_

Lance’s chest heaves. The whip leaves a tongue of fire and blood across his chest and Keith spreads his fingers, trying to protect as much of Lance as he can.

The light grows.

_Stop trying to protect me. Stop hurting for me._

Lance’s head hangs and his body goes slack in the chains as his knees give out.

“No,” he gasps and Keith shudders.

Keith slides his hand over Lance’s chest and down his ribs to his hip, leaving a trail of light as he goes.

“If you want him,” Lance gasps and how is there still steel in his voice? “You _have_ to go through me.” Lance’s eyes turn to iron, locking on a figure Keith can’t find in the dark.

The whip cracks.

 _Please Lance._ His hand slides back up Lance’s side coming up under his arm, following it to the chains Lance is still clutching, knuckles white.

Keith’s fingers brush over Lance’s knuckles, sliding between his fingers until he’s cradling Lance’s shaking hand, carefully stroking over the frigid chains so cold they bite.

 _Let go_ , Keith whispers, his chin tucking over Lance’s shoulder so he can whisper in his ear. _Just give them what they want._

Lance’s fingers go slack on the chains and they slip a scant inch.

 _Crack!_ They flinch together as Lance screams, tears in his eyes and Keith covers Lance’s heart with his hand, protecting it as best he can.

 _Let go. Please._ Keith chokes as Lance struggles to draw a breath. _Stop. Just make it stop._ He tucks his head against the side of Lance’s neck. _I don’t need you to protect me._ _I’m not worth this._

Lance turns his face into Keith’s, startling him, Lance’s lips brushing over his own as if he knows Keith is there.

“No,” Lance whispers as he leans forward, following Keith as he startles back. “You’ve suffered enough,” Lance whispers and Keith realizes his face his bruised.

“You may not need protecting,” he gasps, “but you deserve it.” His forehead wrinkles, eyes shut tight with pain as he leans into Keith. “You are worth all this and more Keith.”

Heart hammering Keith lifts his hand, stroking his fingers over the wounds on Lance’s face, watching in wonder as the bruises begin to fade.

Lance brushes his lips over Keith’s. “Let me protect you.” His hand tightens on the chains, taking back the slack he’s lost.

It’s a moment of weakness that seems to make him stronger and Keith presses into the kiss, brief as it is, before Lance takes back the weight Keith hadn’t realized had been resting on him. Lance’s expression twists with a wince as he stands, taking a deep, bracing breath, turning to face the shadows again.

Keith lets go of Lance’s hand, palming the gaping wounds down Lance’s back, watching as the light flares, making his heart ache. He doesn’t understand why anyone would do this for him.

Lance never did listen to what was good for him. Keith presses his forehead to Lance’s hair, kisses his cheek.

 _Then let me help._ He owes Lance that much, little as it is.

Keith loops the chain around his own wrist, covering Lance’s hand with his own, their fingers slipping together. He still has his other arm wrapped around Lance, cradling and protecting his heart.

He presses his lips to Lance’s cheek again.

_Some burdens were meant to be shared._

This time when the whip cracks, they both scream. 


End file.
